GBI Magazine

f o o t b a l l f e a t u r e : r o b e r t k u g l e r A Perfect Fit Upbringing prepared Kugler BY STACY CLARDIE SClardie@GoldandBlack.com R obert Kugler was a stud at Orchard Park High School. By the end of his junior season, he was a captain on the football team and helped the group dominate, winning 31-of-34 games over a three-year span, including a Class AA state championship in 2009. He had developed into one of the nation's most highly touted tight ends, largely because of his blocking ability, and also was an overpowering defensive end, registering 81 tackles and five sacks as a junior. Kugler was excited to finish his career as a product of the school, a place he'd established lasting friendships. But, then, he got the news: Another move was coming. Kugler knew the process, he'd done it enough. Pittsburgh was only the most recent destination, adding Pennsylvania to the ever-growing list of "home" states after being born in Florida, living in Texas for eight years, bouncing to Idaho for one and heading to Michigan for a five-year stint before landing in New York. A self-described shy kid had no chance. Not with a dad who was a football coach who lived the nomad life that often comes with it. Kugler had to bloom and develop an outgoing personality, as well as a work ethic that left no choice but to notice him. "It was hard sometimes, but it really helped me because it made me adapt," Kugler said of his unconventional upbringing. "When we moved to Pittsburgh, it was, 'You're not our starter. We don't know you.' So I had to go and prove myself again, even as a senior in high school. "You get used to doing that. You don't get complacent, which is nice." It's a value that's served him well since his arrival to Purdue with the position changes and coaching changes that ensued. Kugler not only hasn't been fazed by the tumult, he's thrived. Tom Campbell After being recruited as a tight end and playing the position during his redshirt season, Robert Kugler was switched to offensive line in the spring of 2012. Not surprisingly considering his upbringing, he quickly adapted to the new position and was starting at guard only months later. by the time Robert was born to he and wife Patsy, Robert Kugler never knew a time when football wasn't part of his life. By the time Sean accepted a coaching position with the Detroit Lions, his first NFL gig, in 2001, Robert and his younger brother Patrick were spending time with dad in training camp. They'd work some, pick up clothes in the locker room or haul equipment, and then hang out with dad in the dorms. It may have started as just a neat opportunity, but as the kids got older, they realized it was more. They were able to watch different styles of coaching, how those varying personalities got the most from the talent. They'd study players, not watching technique necessarily but being more struck by just the sheer amount of effort required. Robert Kugler called NFL players "some of the hardest-working people I've ever been around." Sean Kugler, a tight end and offensive line coach while working in the NFL, knew then the experience was invaluable for his son. Perfect training "They saw a lot of good examples of how to do With Sean Kugler firmly entrenched in his profession it, how not to do it," said Sean Kugler, who is now Gold & Black IllustrateD • volume 23, issue 5

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